Jets Overhead are a JUNO-nominated Canadian alternative rock band from Victoria, BC, known for their expansive soundscapes, shimmering shoegaze textures, and layered vocal harmonies that are at once intimate and epic.
Their 2003 self-titled debut EP charted on CMJ and set the stage for 2006’s Bridges – a landmark release offered as a “pay-what-you-want” download a year before Radiohead popularized the model with In Rainbows. That move made Jets Overhead early pioneers in rethinking digital music distribution, while the album also earned their first JUNO nomination (Canada’s GRAMMY equivalent) and cemented their reputation as boundary-pushers in both sound and spirit.
2009’s No Nations, recorded on remote Hornby Island, BC with Neil Osborne (54*40), fused dreamy synths with guitar-driven edge and featured the alt-radio hit “Heading for Nowhere.” The album brought the band to new heights on global festival stages including Coachella, Bonnaroo, and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Their third LP, Boredom and Joy (2012), offered a deeper dive into themes of longing and modern disconnection. Produced by Emery Dobyns and recorded between New York and Victoria, it added lush sequencing and cinematic arrangements to the band’s evolving sonic palette.
Jets Overhead toured throughout the world from 2003 to 2012, sharing the stage with artists including Broken Social Scene, Tegan and Sara, The Temper Trap, The Stills, The Dears, Our Lady Peace, 54*40, Sam Roberts Band, Lights, and The Dandy Warhols. While they are no longer actively performing, Jets Overhead have carved out a quiet but enduring legacy, remaining one of Canadian indie rock’s most beloved cult favourites – and 2025 will see the release of new music from the band’s archives.
"Jets Overhead's lush, driving rock is the bristling, slightly psychedelic offspring of the likes of Radiohead and Pink Floyd.”–Los Angeles Times
“Jets Overhead echo many a great band, from The Velvet Underground to The Bends-era Radiohead to early Coldplay. Trance-rock is their métier, woozy melodies and rhythmic rise and fall…it makes for a very pleasant trip.”–Q
